Internal combustion engine of the solid injection type



March 28, 194 F. s. H. HEDLUND INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF THE SOLIDINJECTION TYPE Filed July 2. 1941 A W//////////////////////////// 1A vPatented Mar. 28, 1944 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE OF THE SOLID INJECTIONTYPE Folke Gustaf Hjalmar Hedlund, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor, by mesneassignments, to Jarvis 0. Marble, Riverside, Conn., Chester A.

Adee, Port Washington, N. Y., and George Carlson, New York, N. Y., astrustees Application July 2, 1941, Serial'No. 400,746 In Sweden July 18,1940 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to internal combustion engines in whichliquid'fuel is sprayed into a rotating air charge in the combustionchamber towards the end of the compression stroke and in which the fuelis ignited by means of at least one special timed ignition device, suchas an electric spark plug. In such engines it is important to fullyutilize the air charge. An-

. other requirement is that the minute fuel quantities injected when theengine is running idle, should be ignited regularly.

In practice it has been proved to be difiicult to attain both of saiddesiderata simultaneously. Particularly when heavier fuels are useddifliculties have been experienced to obtain both a satisfactory poweroutput and an unobjectionable operation at no load.

The present invention relates more particularly to the type of enginesin which at least one fuel jet which may be called the concurrent jet isinjected nearly in the direction of rotation of the air in thecombustion chamber and at least one jet which may be called thecounter-current jet in a direction generally facing the rotation of theair. An engine of this type is described, inter alia, in the U. S.Patent No. 2,125,293 to Hesselman.

The present invention has for its object to attain a reliable ignitionat no load, also when fuels are used which are difficult to ignite, andat the same time to utilize to a high degree the air of the combustionchamber to attain a satisfactory maximum power output.

One outstanding feature of the invention resides therein that theignition device is disposed so much closer to the counter-current jetthan to the concurrent jet that said device or its projection on a planeperpendicular to the axis of the cylinder falls within the range of thecorresponding projection of the counter-current jet when the air chargeis at rest or at least moving so slowly that said counter-current jet ispractically undeviated.

According to an embodiment of the invention the ignition device ispositioned so far laterally of a diametrical plane of the combustionchamber passing through the injection devic that, counted in thedirection of air rotation, it is angularly displaced more than 180degrees from the injection device. Such a displacement may be preferredin conjunction with the fact that the two or more jets are formed onboth sides of and symmetrically in relation to said diametrical plane ofthe combustion chamber through the appertaining injection device.

The jets may also be injected under different angles of divergence tosaid diametrical plane as mentioned in the U. S. Patent No. 2,125,293.According to this patent the jets may have different factors ofpenetration.

The concurrent jet is accelerated by the rotating air and is slightlydeviated. The countercurrent jet is retarded and its outline deformed.The influence of the air current on the fuel jets is different atdifferent engine loads. At higher numbers of revolutions the air has agreater deviating power than at lower numbers of revolutions. Theposition of the fuel at the instant of ignition in relation to the sparkplug will therefore be entirely different at different numbers ofrevolutions and engine loads.

To render ignition possibl there must exist, at the moment of ignition,an air-fuel-mixture at the electrode of the spark plug. On the otherhand, the spark plug must not receive direct sprays. At least, the jetsmust not be directed towards the spark plug.

In order to assure a reliable operation at no load this spark plug isplaced considerably closer to the center line of the counter-current jetthan to that of the concurrent jet. In this way the ignition will takeplace directly in the countercurrent jet at no load, small loads, andlow engine speeds. At high engine speeds and heavy loads thecounter-current jet is deviated from the spark plug and instead theconcurrent jet will be brought forward by the action of the rotating airand ignited. By this disposition a reliable ignition is obtained at allloads while at the same tim the risk of the spark plug being fouled byoil is reduced to a minimum.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example differentembodiments of the invention. On the drawing Fig. 1 is a longitudinalsection through an internal combustion engine of the solid injectiontand timed ignition type according to the invenion.

Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections on the line II-lI in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar section as in Figs. 2 and 3 but relates to amodified embodiment of the invention. 1

In Fig. 1 the piston 2 is reciprocable in the cylinder l and is at itstop provided with a peripheral flange 3. In the cylinder head ii aninjection nozzle I3 and an electrical spark plug 5 are provided. Duringth suction stroke of the piston 2 air is sucked through a tangential airinlet channel 6 and an inlet valve 1 governed in the usual manner andinto the cylinder I. The air charge is caused to rotate due to thetangential flow of air into the combustion chamber. This rotation has adirection indicated by the arrow 8 and will continue until the moment ofignition. The exhaust valve I1. is positioned as shown in Fig. 2. Thetip I of the injection nozzle I3 is of the so-called multi-orifice type.In the embodiment her described there are two orifices provided througheach of which a fuel jet is sprayed into the combustion chamber. Thenozzle as illustrated is of the open type. Fuel is supplied from a fuelpump not shown on the drawing through the pressure line l2. nozzle iithere are provided pressure valves not shown on the drawing which permitflow of fuel towards the tip I but prevent a back flow of fuel or gasinto the pressure line I 2.

Fig. 2 illustrates the appearance of the jets when the influence of theair rotation is insignificant.

If there is a considerable air rotation the jets will have the deformedoutlines shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 2 and 3 indicate a preferred embodiment in regard to the positionsof the jets andthe spark plug. The jets enter the combustion chambergenerally under the same angles of divergence in relation to adiametrical plane of the combustion chamber through the injectionnozzle. The spark plug is laterally displaced in relation to thisdiametrical plane towards the counter-current jet. As shown in Fig. 2the projection of the counter-current jet will cover the spark plug whentheair in the combustion chamber is at rest or at least has such a slowrotation that the deviation of the counter-current jet is insignificant.

' Under other circumstances another disposition is also conceivable asshown in Fig. 4. Also in this embodiment the spark plug is closer to thecounter-current jet and falls within the projection of the undevlatedcounter-current jet. This is here attained by injecting thejetsunsymmetrically in relation to a diametrical plane of the combustionchamber through the nozzle so that they form difierent angles ofdivergence in relation to said plane.

However, the invention is not to be limited to the illustratedembodiments as other modifications are conceivable without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of operating an internal combustion engine of theinjection type having a combustion chamber provided with a timedignition device therein which includes introducing an air charge intosaid chamber to rotate therein at a rate varying with variations inengine speed, directing a first fuel jet transversely of the retatingair charge toward said ignition device to be ignited thereby when saidjet is substantially In the undeflected due to a relatively low rate ofair rotation and directing a second fuel jet transversely of therotating air charge toward a place in said chamber in advance of saidignition device with respect to the direction of air rotation so as tobe carried to said ignition device and ignited thereby only when saidsecond jet is laterally deflected by a relatively high rate of airrotation which simultaneously operates to deflect said first jetlaterally away from said ignition device.

2. The method of operating an internal combustion engine of theinjection type having 'a circular combustion chamber provided with atimed ignition device located adjacent to the periphery of said chamber,which includes introducing an air charge into said chamber to rotatetherein at a rate varying with variations in engine speed, directing afirst fuel jet transversely of the rotating air charge along a chord ofsaid chamber and generally counter to the direction of rotation of theair toward said Qnition device to be ignited thereby when said. jet issubstantially undeflected due to a relatively low rate of air rotationand directing a second fuel jet transversely of the rotating air chargealong.

a second chord of said chamber and generally with the direction of airrotation toward a place in said chamber in advance of said ignitiondevice with respect to the direction of air rotation so as to be carriedto said ignition device and ignited thereby only when said second jet islaterally deflected by a relatively high rate of air rotation whichsimultaneously operates to deflect said first jet laterally away fromsaid ignition device.

3. The method of operating aninternal combustion engine of the injection'type having a circular combustion chamber provided with a timedignition device located adjacent'to the periphery of said chamber, whichincludes introducing an air charge into said chamber to rotate thereinat a rate varying with variations in engine speed, directing a firstfuel jet transversely of the rotating air charge along substantially adiameter of said chamber toward said ignition device to be ignitedthereby when said jet issubstantially undeilected due to a relativelylow rate of air rotation and directing a second fuel jet transversely ofthe rotating air charge along a chord of said chamber and generally withthe direction of air rotation toward a place in said chamber in advanceof said ignition device with respect to the direction of air rotation soas to be carried to said ignition device and ignited thereby only whensaid second jet is laterally deflected by a relatively high rate of airrotation which simultaneously operates to deflect said first jetlaterally away from said ignition device.

FOLKE GUSTAF HJALMAR. HEDLUND;

